Laws of the People's Republic of China

   Article 2 the State Statistical Investigation Certificates are private certificates used by interviewers of the State Statistical System to verify their identities when exercising statistical investigation duties. Interviewers should actively show their State Statistical Investigation Certificates to related investigation objects during investigations. Working personnel of statistical agencies of the people's governments of all levels at and above the county may exercise statistical investigation duties at law with their ID cards.

   Article 3 State Statistical Investigation Certificates are printed by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and released and managed level by level.

   Article 4 following interviewers shall be granted the State Statistical Investigation Certificates.

(1) interviewers from rural social economy investigation teams, urban social economy investigation teams and enterprise investigation teams that are brought under state control and interviewees who are engaged for more than one year;

(2) interviewers from local investigation teams that assume state statistical investigation tasks and interviewers who are engaged for more than one year;

   Article 5 following interviewers shall be granted the interim State Statistical Investigation Certificates:

(1) interviewers from rural social economy investigation teams, urban social economy investigation teams and enterprise investigation teams that are brought under state control and interviewers who are engaged for less than one year;

2 interviewers from local investigation teams that assume state statistical investigation tasks and interviewers who are engaged for less than one year

3 personnel who take part in sample investigations and other national one-time investigations.

   Article 6 when interviewers who conform to the first item of article 4 or the first item of article 5 apply for State Statistical Investigation Certificates the units where they belong to shall fill in applications and the certificates shall be approved and issued by related investigation teams of the NBS.

   Article 6 when interviewers who conform to item two of article 4 or item two and three of article 5 apply for State Statistical Investigation Certificates the units where they belong to shall submit following materials to investigation teams of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central authority.

1 applications;

2 preliminary examination opinions of statistical bureaus or investigation teams at the immediately higher level. After receiving above materials, statistical bureaus or investigation teams of provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities directly under the central authority should examine and verify in earnest. Certificates shall be approved and issued by related departments or teams of the NBS to those qualified.

   Article 8 interviewers for each nationwide investigation should be granted Interviewer Certificates, which are issued and managed unitedly by statistical agencies of the people's governments at and above the county level.

   Article 9 following contents should be indicated at obvious positions of authorized State Statistical Investigation Certificates:

1 license-issuing authority and serial number

2 scope of investigation, content of investigation and period of validity;

3 name of the unit where the certificate holder belongs to and data of issue.

   Article 10 the duties of interviewers who are approved to get the State Statistical Investigation Certificates:

1 propaganda and implement the statistics laws, rules and regulations

2 exercise rights of statistical investigations, statistical reports and supervision independently at law without being infringed;

3 statistical investigation objects are required to offer statistical data accurately and timely;

(4) check the accuracy of statistical data and demand correction of unauthentic statistical data at law;

(5) keep the privacy of individuals and business secrets obtained in investigations to themselves.

   Article 11 interviewers should safekeep their State Statistical Investigation Certificates and no alteration, onward lending, purposeful damage or application to activities unrelated to statistical investigations are allowed.

   Article 12 the licensees should return the State Statistical Investigation Certificates under one of following cases:

(1) the valid period of the State Statistical Investigation Certificates is expired

(2) being transferred out of the statistical system;

3 having gone through the retirement procedures.

   Article 13 the certificate- issuing units shall take over the State Statistical Investigation Certificates under one of following cases and the responsible personality shall get criticism and education or administrative penalties according to the circumstance:

(1) alteration, onward lending or purposeful damage of the State Statistical Investigation Certificates;

(2) application of the State Statistical Investigation Certificates beyond the scope of investigation, the content of investigation and period of validity;

3 being engaged in activities unrelated to statistical investigations by making use of the State Statistical Investigation Certificates.

   Article 14 if the State Statistical Investigation Certificate is lost or pilfered, the principal should turn in paper review, report to the certificate- issuing units to be kept in record timely and go through the procedures again. The certificate- issuing units should make manifestations for cancellation. For unintentional damage of the State Statistical Investigation Certificates, go through the procedures to get new ones.

   Article 15 any units or individuals that violate these regulations, counterfeit and distort State Statistical Investigation Certificates or falsely claim other's certificates as one's own, statistical agencies of the people's governments at and above the county level shall order them to correct and inflict warnings to them. In cases of gross violations the public security organs shall handle in accordance with the "Punishment Regulations for the Public Management".

   Article 16 this method is interpreted by the Policies and Rules Department of the NBS.

   Article 17 this method goes into effect since July 1st, 1999.